


I Have Never Loved Someone The Way I Love You

by ODeorainFan2150



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 15:33:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17490593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ODeorainFan2150/pseuds/ODeorainFan2150
Summary: Pharah finds herself looking at some old items of her mother's when digging through Watchpoint Gibraltar





	I Have Never Loved Someone The Way I Love You

The chill in the corridors of the deep storage units under the Gibraltar Watchpoint was a blessed relief from the burning sun on the surface. Pharah sighed in satisfaction at feeling it’s cooling touch on the exposed skin of her arms as the lift came to a juddering halt, a safety barrier lifting out of the way with a hiss. The cavern around her echoed to the sound of boots tapping on the concrete as she strode forward, eyes tracing the row numbers as she made her way through the expansive space.

When Overwatch had broken down, most of the surface areas had been cleaned away, their contents destroyed or returned to its owners. But the deep storage units, those had been sealed and left untouched. Officially it was to prevent contamination, but Pharah was sure Athena’s reluctance to let anyone down there was more to do with self-preservation - where else would Winston store the early prototypes of her systems. That said, there were plenty of boxes down here that would be useful - Angela had already started stocking the medical bay with some of the long-life medicines while Torbjion and Bastion were working on some carrying solution to reduce the number of trips needed to bring heavier items upstairs.

But Pharah had a different objective in mind for today, one much more personal. The manifest had listed one unit still in place as having belonged to “Amari” - no first name. She thought back to the limited time she had spent here, travelling down to spend the summers here as her mother was overseeing several satellite launches. The first time she had seen Winston and burst into tears at the giant gorilla standing over her was burned into everyone involved’s mind, although Pharah had noticed the photo of him cradling her in a massive hand amongst the stack he kept on his desk.

Reaching the unit listed on the manifest, she took a deep breath. It looked like all the others, squat and blue, with a white stripe at roughly head height. And, like all the others, a keypad lightly covered in dust. Pharah looked down at the numbers on the dial pad. While others had been worn, making the task of guessing the code easier, these numbers had obviously been repainted over and over again. Part of her smiled at this, another sign of her mother’s security conscious nature.

Briefly checking for any sort of bypass switch or manual release, Pharah was disappointed to see this was going to have to be done the hard way. Even worse, no override code was listed on the manifest. Instead, there was just a hint:

“An Important Day”

Pharah frowned, slightly annoyed. To her mother, any number of days could be important to her. Her birthday, her wedding day, the day she joined Overwatch. Hell, it could even be the day that Pharah was born. The list was endless. And last time Pharah checked, these tins had a limited number of entry attempts before they locked up.

With a tap on her earpiece, Pharah summoned Athena. There was a minor delay in her response, the signal weakened down here by the thick concrete walls.

“What do you need, Captain Amari?” Athena’s voice echoed around her.

Pharah paused. “We’ve covered this. Pharah will do fine, Athena.”

Athena chimed “Acknowledged. Preferred name changed to Pharah. What else do you require Miss Amari?”

“I’m trying to open storage unit 222204 but I’m unsure of the passcode. Do I have to do this manually or can I get some assistance?” Pharah asked.

There was a momentary pause before Athena responded, her calm tone unchanged from before.

“Miss Amari, I have opened the box for you. Due to your name and biometrics being on the ownership document, there is no need for the security code.” There was a pause. “The image of the eagle you signed at the end of your name is very well drawn.”

With a clunk, the door began to swing open, it's internal lights flickering on one by one. Inside was a long row of shelves covered in boxes and files, a few scattered items of furniture filling in the floor to assemble what looked like an assault course. It was ordered chaos although Pharah could imagine her mother easily knowing exactly where everything was.

“Thank you, Athena. For future reference, what is the actual code?”

The digits Athena read back to her was a surprise. It wasn’t any of the dates she had guessed. She wasn’t even close. Instead, it was the day she had left, flying back to Egypt to enter basic training. She frowned as she remembered that day, how angry she had been with her mother. Both of them had said things they had regretted, a flaming row that had started in Ana’s office before trailing out onto the flight line. Only Reinhardt’s intervention had made sure they talked to each other the first time Pharah had gained communication with the outside world after her first few weeks of training, a few grudging words over a crackly phone line.

Shaking off her memories, she walked into the unit, her eyes searching for anything of interest. The space seemed smaller than the last time she had been here, the shelves at a sensible height rather than towering over her. A few crayon drawings had been pinned to the back wall above a workbench, lots of blue on scraps of rough paper. Next to it were a few photos, the ones Ana had obviously not been ready to throw away. She smiled at the one with her wearing her mother’s uniform, almost drowning in that coat, the beret slumped down over one of her eyes.

After digging through a few boxes, she found one of those coats, the traditional blue replaced with a desert camo scheme. Pharah ran her finger over the bullet holes and shredded cloth that covered the surface, stored away without being repaired. She brought it up to her nose and breathed in deeply, her senses suddenly assailed by the stench of gunpowder and smoke and jasmine and lilies.

It suddenly hit her how much she wished her mother was here. How much she missed her, even after all this time.

Composing herself, she continued working through the items but another flash of blue caught her eye. A long flat box, with bronze hinges, pressed against the roof, almost hidden. With a rush of excitement, she climbed up to be able to reach it, grabbing hold of it with both hands. Pulling it out after a bit of a yank, she lowered it carefully down to the workbench, descending amongst a cloud of dust.

Her hands shook slightly as she flicked the latches, lifting the lid slowly as if she was unsure what waited for her inside. With a solid clunk, the case dropped open and Pharah felt herself breathe out slowly.

Inside was a guitar. It was an electro-acoustic model connected to a small amplifier contained inside the body, ideal for someone on the go, not wanting to both with lugging an external amplifier but wanting the flexibility. It’s royal blue paint was chipped and slightly faded, the numbers on some of the dials in need of a touch-up. As Pharah lifted it out of the velvet lined interior, she felt settle into her hands. It almost felt right, despite her never having touched this particular item. Pressing one of the buttons, Pharah felt the strings tension themselves, re-tuning without any of the usual fuss. Even the internal amplifier worked, only a slight pop as it turned on. 

Settling into an old and worn chair behind her, she lifted the guitar into place. She thought for a moment, her fingers hovering over the strings, unable to pick a tune. He eyes eventually settled on the stack of pictures on the back wall, their presence bringing one particular song to the forefront of her mind as she began to play.

\---

Ana shaded her eyes as she sat on the roof of Watchpoint Gibraltar, watching the sun set over the Mediterranean. The breeze off the sea cooled her, but even so, she was glad to have taken off her coat. It lay underneath her, protecting her from the hard concrete while giving little Fareenha somewhere to sleep happily. Working out of Gibraltar was always something she had tried to avoid, preferring to stay close to central command but Jack always asked her to come down and keep an eye on things. At least this year she’d managed to get some time with Reinhardt, the two of them sharing a night with each other, wrapped in each other’s arms.

Smiling, she looked down at her daughter. Fareeha was lying on her back on the coat, still under the shade of the umbrella above them. Little noises came from her as she dozed, this evening nap letting Ana finally have some peace. Between work and taking care of her beloved daughter, Ana could feel herself being stretched a little thin. However, that was nothing a quiet evening in the sun couldn’t fix.

Leaning over to the rucksack beside her, her hand met an unexpected package at the top. Frowning, she retrieved it, holding it in both hands as she looked down. It was carefully wrapped in greaseproof paper, the end held in place with tape. Ana’s frown was replaced with a smile when she saw the love heart drawn on it in pen, Reinhardt’s handwriting underneath. 

“A Gift”

Running a finger through the fold she broke the seal and retrieved the contents. It was a pretzel and based on the smell that came rolling off it, it was freshly made that morning. Ana smiled at the idea of Reinhardt trying frantically to bake in the tiny space available to them and even more at him carefully packaging one up for her before slipping it into her bag.

She took a bite and closed her eyes in delight, the salt crystals on the outside enhancing the bready taste of the inside. Eagerly she bit in again, the second bite as delicious as the first.

The smell of the pretzel was obviously too delicious and managed to rouse Fareeha out of her nap, suddenly shuffling around on the material beneath her. Her tiny hands reached out, trying frantically to grab the air, her face scrunching up in annoyance.

Ana simply leaned over to her, gently catching one of Fareeha’s minute hand around her finger. She smiled as Fareenha gripped on, pulling with all her might. “Shush, shush _ḥabībti_ , I’m here”. Carefully, she lifted the baby into her arms, rocking her back and forth to comfort her.

Tearing a tiny bit of pretzel off, she fed it to Fareeha, watching carefully to make sure she swallowed it properly, her own grin widening as a happy smile appearing on her baby’s face. She nodded her head happily.

“Good isn’t it? Reinhardt will probably try to teach you how to make them one day. But his are the best you’ll ever have.” Ana responded, tickling under her baby’s chin and hearing her giggle.

Gently, she lay Fareeha back onto the blanket, watching as she rolled around sleepily. Still smiling, Ana reached to the box beside her and unclicked the lid. Tensing her arm slightly, she pulled out her guitar, settling it across her lap. 

It was a treat she had allowed herself the last time she went to Gibraltar, it’s royal blue colour drawing her eye as she’d walked past the music shop. Gabriel had taught her how to play many years ago but she’d never found one of her own to keep, the other designs lacking a draw to her. Something about this had called to her, however, and the fact it was as portable as it was meant it was ideal for her use.

Looking at Fareeha, she lifted her guitar and started to sing. It was a song that had embedded itself in her head, the lyrics really speaking to her when she’d first heard it in the Overwatch medical wing, a newborn baby clutched in her arms.

_I have never loved someone the way I love you_

_I have never seen a smile like yours_

_And if you grow up to be king or clown, or pauper_

_I will say you are my favourite one in town_

A bird came to rest on the aerial close to them. It was a Peregrine Falcon, it’s size marking it as a female. It almost seemed to watch as Ana continued playing, Fareeha watching it in turn, her eyes wide.

_I have never held a hand so soft and sacred_

_When I hear you laugh, I know heaven's key_

_And when I grow to be a poppy in the graveyard_

_I will send you all my love upon the breeze_

Fareeha gurgled again and Ana couldn’t help but smile down at her. There were so many thoughts running through her head as she watched her baby and played. What did the future hold for her? What would she do with her life? 

But honestly for now? Ana was just enjoying seeing her smile.

_And if the breeze won't blow your way I will be the sun_

_And if the sun won't shine your way I will be the rain_

_And if the rain won't wash away all your aches and pains_

_I will find some other way to tell you you're okay_

\---

Her voice wavered through the final few lines. Fareeha could feel the tears dripping onto her boots, the steady thump, thump still going after she stopped playing.

Athena’s voice interrupted her melancholy. “Miss Amari. Mr Whilem is approaching. Would you like me to direct him away for a moment?”

Fareeha rubbed her eyes before she answered, a cough clearing her throat. “No Athena. It’s fine. But thank you for the offer”

It was only a moment before the giant shape of Reinhardt appearing on the other side of the door. Even outside of his armour, his bulk filled much of the doorway. He looked sad to see her, his good eye clouded and slightly reddened. But he smiled carefully when he met Fareeha’s eyes.

“I haven’t heard that song in a long time Fareeha. It is good to hear it again”

He came closer, kneeling down next to her. Without a word, Fareeha leaned over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt Reinhardt gently patting his hand on her back “Let it out Fareeha, let out”.

She sobbed. Sobbed like she never had before. She hadn’t really had time to grieve properly before, too busy with work and too detached from her mother. But now, surrounded by things that reminded her of that connection she had lost, she was overwhelmed.

It took her a while to compose herself. But eventually, she dried her eyes and started picking things to bring back up with her. The blue case in one hand, she rode the cargo lift back to the surface, already thinking about where to put the guitar stand she would need.

\---

On the other side of the Mediterrain, Ana curled up in her sleeping bag. After checking Jack was still asleep, she pulled out a small disc from within her bag. With a click it activated, blue light projecting an image. The light reflected back on her worn face, a hint of a smile appearing as she looked down at tiny version of Captain Fareeha Amari, watching the footage she’d recovered of her from a Helix mission. 

As Ana watched the tiny version of the captain kneeling down to shake a child’s hand, she thought about the woman Fareeha had become. A lyric from a song she hadn’t thought about in a long time came to mind.

_I have never loved someone the way I love you_

 

**Author's Note:**

> Taking a break from writing some multi-part stories and wanted to release this. One of those ideas that bounce around your head.
> 
> The song (and the version that breaks my heart) is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1p9kj-odnU
> 
> If you like this work, I love hearing your comments - I'll always try and respond! Alternatively, drop me an email at odeorainfan2150@gmail.com
> 
> Follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/deorainfan2150 for news on what I'm working on next.
> 
> If you want to throw me a tip, you can find my Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/odeorainfan2150.


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